On March 4, Venture Connectors will host a panel featuring Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer’s economic advancement team. Ted Smith, chief of civic innovation, Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, deputy chief of staff and chief of strategic initiatives, and Colleen Abate, economic development manager, will discuss the Mayor’s vision for Louisville and how the venture capital and entrepreneurial community can participate in that vision. The interactive discussion will include questions from the audience. Register for the event here.

Smith’s efforts include the 2012 IBM Smarter City Challenge-winning adoption of Asthmapolis sensor inhalers across Louisville to develop a new understanding of asthma. He is an open government/open data champion and is responsible for efforts to expand the entrepreneurial and innovation economy of Louisville. Prior to city government, he was appointed senior innovation advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT. He founded the chronic disease news service, MedTrackAlert, which was acquired by Health Central in 2008. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College, master’s and doctorate degrees in cognitive science from Miami University (Ohio) and completed post-doctorate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Smith serves as executive director of the Institute for Healthy Air, Water and Soil, a civic innovation laboratory. He was a co-investigator for the Neurolab shuttle mission and was named to the 2013 Government Technology list of “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers.”

Venture Connectors announced today that applications for its sixth annual Venture Sharks business competition are now open. Early-stage companies and entrepreneurs are invited to compete for a $10,000 prize — roughly $5,000 in cash and $5,000 in professional services — provided by the competition’s sponsors. Sponsorship commitments for this year’s Venture Sharks include: AT&T Kentucky and Commonwealth Seed Capital, gold sponsors; OPM Financial, silver sponsor; and Nucleus, in-kind sponsor. Additional sponsorships yet to be confirmed could increase the total prize value up to $15,000.

Applications are available here. and will be due by midnight on March 15. The he Venture Sharks committee will choose the top ideas to compete during the preliminary round of the competition, held April 15, where the field then will be narrowed to a few finalists. The final “Shark Bait” round will be held on May 6 during the monthly Venture Connectors’ luncheon meeting.

On Feb. 4, Venture Connectors will host Andrea Wilson, general manager of Michter’s Distillery LLC, and Doris Sims, vice president of bureau services for the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau. They will discuss the state of the bourbon industry, focusing on downtown distilling and bourbon experiences. Wilson and Sims also will share information on the expected economic impact of the bourbon industry on Louisville and what they believe are opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs.

Michter’s is a startup distiller in Louisville that is resurrecting an old brand and reintroducing it to the marketplace. A privately held business with a history tracing back to 1753, Michter’s 65,000-square-foot distillery is located on 5.6 acres in Shively. Additionally, Michter’s is currently renovating the historic Fort Nelson Building across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, which is slated to offer educational tours and tastings. The distillery’s current production includes small-batch bourbon, single-barrel rye whiskey, sour mash whiskey, unblended American whiskey, 10-year-old single-barrel rye and single-barrel bourbon, 20-year-old single-barrel bourbon and 25-year-old single-barrel rye. Michter’s earned the Robb Report’s “Best of the Best Award” in 2014, and has been named “The Best American Whiskey” by Food & Wine magazine.

At its Wednesday, Dec. 3, luncheon, Venture Connectors will host JK McKnight, founder of The Forecastle Festival and The Forecastle Foundation. A writer, musician, producer, fundraiser and environmental activist, McKnight will discuss how he leveraged his environment, creativity, networking and innovation to grow The Forecastle Festival, which began as a small community event at Tyler Park in 2002, into a major, international attraction.

McKnight will provide a clinic on how to read the physical, cultural and emotional vernacular of your surroundings. He will discuss how to isolate creativity to build the right product that fits your market and solves a problem. He will talk about how to scale your business and network with your customers, stakeholders, early adopters and future purveyors. He’ll also offer insights into how to sustain growth through constant innovation and iteration.

At its Wednesday, Nov. 5, luncheon meeting, Venture Connectors will host Tendai Charasika and Bobby Ferreri, two former economic development executives who have taken what they learned in their roles with Greater Louisville Inc. to now lead successful startup ventures. Charasika and Ferreri are former executive directors of GLI’s EnterpriseCorp, the entrepreneurship arm of the region’s leading economic development organization that is dedicated to fostering high-potential, early-stage companies. Both say their experiences with GLI are what inspired them to “just do it,” and strike out on their own.

Charasika and Ferreri will talk about their work at GLI, why they decided to take the leap toward entrepreneurship and how they continue to apply the knowledge they gained from supporting the Louisville entrepreneurial community to their new roles. There will also be a Q&A session after their presentation.

Venture Connectors is pleased to host film producer Milan Kumar Chakraborty, CPA, at its Oct. 1 luncheon meeting. Chakraborty’s newest film, “Produce” was filmed in and around Louisville, and will be screened at the IdeaFestival film event on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field.

He will discuss why film is a viable investment and business opportunity on par with any other type of investment, as well as the positive economic impact independent films have on the communities where they are produced. Chakraborty will also share tips on leveraging investments for film and how, as a CPA turned film producer, he is able to maximize revenue, economic incentives and shareholder value on his own movies. Chakraborty will be answering audience questions during his talk. Members and guests are invited to submit questions in advance to contact@ventureconnectors.org or tweet to @vclou using the hashtag #MilanVC.

In anticipation of the Louisville mini Maker Faire held in conjunction with IdeaFestival later in September, Venture Connectors will host a panel of local “makers” at its Sept. 3 luncheon meeting. Panelists will discuss a brief overview of what the local “Maker Economy” looks like, as well as how the movement is positively impacting the city, its business climate and the lifestyles of its citizens.

Venture Connectors is pleased to host Awesome Inc co-founder Nick Such as its featured speaker at the Aug. 6 luncheon event. He will share some of the reasons he and his partners started a school that helps startups create their own software.

Venture Connectors has named Amy Higgs as its manager of communications and administration. Under the leadership of the board of directors, Higgs will execute all membership, marketing, public relations and social media functions for the nonprofit business organization. She will also coordinate and manage all Venture Connectors events. Higgs was selected by the board from a pool of outstanding applicants during a thorough RFP process, conducted earlier this year.

Previously, Venture Connectors contracted with multiple entities for its administrative, website and marketing functions. The board voted to combine these roles into one comprehensive management position to better ensure continuity of operations and maximize resources.